Melvin Dorta's cute son takes some hacks before a recent game up in Moosic between the 'Pigs and Yanks.I was at a stultifying game at Coca-Cola Park last night (talk about contrasts: IronPigs and Durham Bulls) while Roy Oswalt was getting knocked around by the Nationals in D.C. When I left my game, stifling yawns, Chad Durbin was busy totally blowing the game. I got home in time to see the postgame highlights. Ouch. Oswalt was not sharp but was not helped by sloppy play behind him or by--surprise, surprise--a lack of offensive support. The Phillies mustered just one run, a Jayson Werth solo homer, in the 8-1 loss. Oi vey. Welcome to Philadelphia, Roy, where aces get little run support. See: Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels.
If the Phillies continue to play losing ball on the road and against the NL East, they are going nowhere. Oswalt's awful record against the NL East continues to be worrisome. When I mentioned it to a fellow fan this morning, he said, but I thought he pitched really well at CBP. Indeed he did. Let's hope it was the park not the team!
For someone said to be media-wary, Oswalt was good in his postgame presser, flashing charm and candor in dealing with questions about his performance and his emotions on being traded. Watching it, I atarted to feel that his start should have been put off a day or two to get that sort of thing out of the way. Besides looking like a sexy old-time ballplayer, Oswalt impressed with his reiterated statement, "The true baseball is in the postseason." That, he said, is why he is in Philadelphia. To get to the postseason, though, the Phillies are going to have to zone in on consistency.
And Ruben Amaro, Jr., has got to do something about the bullpen. It's almost August and we're still waiting for these guys to round into shape.
Down in Houston, meanwhile, J.A. Happ threw six scoreless innings, helping his new team to a 5-0 win over the Brewers. I hope he keeps it up.
